Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

Nowhere Boy Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 20, 2010

Sam Taylor-Wood's "Nowhere Boy" (2009) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Icon Home Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include an audio commentary with Sam Taylor-Wood; making of; anatomy of a scene; interviews; deleted scenes; photo gallery; trailer; and more. The disc also arrives with a wonderful photo album. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Alone

Sam Taylor-Wood’s Nowhere Boy takes us back to the mid-1950s, in Liverpool, where John Lennon (Aaron Johnson) is living with his aunt, Mimi (Kristin Scott Thomas, The English Patient), and dreaming about having a rock band. Lennon also dreams about spending more time with his estranged mother, Julia (Anne-Marie Duff, Garage), who only occasionally remembers that he is alive.

After his mother teaches him how to play the banjo and then buys him a guitar, Lennon starts a band, The Quarrymen. Shortly after that a friend introduces him to Paul McCartney (Thomas Sangster, Bright Star). The two like each other - even though Lennon likes beer while McCartney prefers tea. The boys begin rehearsing and eventually together with George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best become The Beatles.

Based on the memoirs of Julia Baird, Lennon’s sister, and with a script by Matt Greenhalgh (Control), Nowhere Boy is an unpretentious and genuinely entertaining film that should appeal to hardcore Beatles fans as well as casual viewers.

Taylor-Wood spends a great deal of time on the complex relationship between Lennon, his mother and aunt, and this is arguably one of the key reasons why Nowhere Boy works so well – it is not a film about Lennon and The Beatles; rather it is a film about a boy who becomes a man while learning from his mistakes.

Another important reason why Nowhere Boy works well is the lack of over-the-top glamorizing. For the better part of the film Lennon is portrayed simply as an angry, confused and vulnerable young man who needs love more than he needs music. There isn’t a single scene in Nowhere Boy where he comes off as a pretentious star.

Aaron Johnson is very impressive as Lennon. He delivers a notably nuanced and assured performance that one could effectively argue could not have been any better. He is most impressive during the final third of the film, after Julia’s death.

Anne-Marie Duff is also striking. For the duration of the film, she literally becomes Julia – an unpredictable, strange and beautiful woman, who shared the same destructive passion for music her son did.

Kristin Scott Thomas, a classy and incredibly gifted actress, is outstanding as Lennon’s aunt. There are more than a couple of scenes in which she attempts to impose her will on Lennon where it is absolutely impossible not to hate her and side with Lennon.

Technically, Nowhere Boy does not break new boundaries. Seamus McGarvey’s lensing is simple but elegant, creating and sustaining an intimate atmosphere that is most appropriate. Lisa Gunning’s editing is also competent, allowing the film to move at a steady pace.

Nowhere Boy boasts a cracking soundtrack with classic tunes by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Wanda Jackson, Elvis Presley and Dickie Valentine, amongst others. Lennon’s moving “Mother” can also be heard at the end of the film.

Note: In 2009, Nowhere Boy won Best Supporting Actress award (Anne-Marie Duff) at the British Independent Film Awards. Earlier this year the film also won Empire Award for Best Newcomer (Aaron Johnson) at the Empire Awards.

Nowhere Boy Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Sam Taylor-Wood's Nowhere Boy arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Icon Home Entertainment.

This is a strong high-definition transfer. Fine object detail is very good, clarity pleasing and contrast levels consistent throughout the entire film. The creators of Nowhere Boy used special lens filters (see the supplemental features on this disc) to achieve the faded look look their film boasts; there are a variety of soft yellows, blues, greens, browns, and blacks. Edge-enhancement is not a serious issue of concern; neither is macroblocking. I also did not spot any serious stability issues. There are no traces of digital artifacting or banding. Finally, I also did not see transfer-specific anomalies to report in this review. To sum it all up, this is a very strong presentation of a terrific film. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

Nowhere Boy Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English Dolby Digital 2.0. For the record, Icon Home Entertainment have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is excellent. The bass is potent and punchy, the rear channels intelligently used, and the high-frequencies not overdone. The dialog is exceptionally crisp, clean, stable and easy to follow. There are no balance issues with Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory's soundtrack either. Finally, while viewing the film I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings to report in this review.

Predictably, the English Dolby Digital 2.0 track can not match the dynamic intensity of the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. This is most obvious during the numerous live performance seen in the film.

Nowhere Boy Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Note: Some of the supplemental features on this Blu-ray disc are encoded in PAL. Therefore, if you reside in North America, or another region where PAL is not supported, you must have a Region-Free player capable of converting PAL to NTSC, or a TV set capable of receiving native PAL data, in order to view them.

Commentary - a terrific audio commentary with Sam Taylor-Wood offering a wealth of information about the production history of her film, the type of changes that were implemented after the initial script was approved, the cast selection, etc. The director also deconstructs a number of key scenes from her film.

Making of - a short featurette with footage from the film, as well as comments from Sam Taylor-Wood and different cast and crew members. In English, not subtitled. (9 min, PAL).

Lennon's Liverpool - additional comments from different cast and crew members. In English, not subtitled. (5 min, PAL).

Anatomy of a scene: "That's When I Stole Him" - a look at the crucial scene in the film where Lennon chooses to stay with his father. There is some excellent technical information here about the type of lens filters the makers of the film used. In English, not subtitled. (13 min, PAL).

Trailer - the original theatrical trailer for the film. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).

Photo gallery - (1080p).

Interview - an extended interview with Sam Taylor-Wood in which she discusses the production history of her film, message, etc. In English, not subtitled. (11 min, PAL).

The re-creation of Lennon and The Quarrymen - Sam Taylor-Wood discusses the casting choices she and her team made. Aaron Johnson and some of the surviving members of The Quarrymen are also interviewed. In English, not subtitled. (9 min, PAL).

Deleted scenes - a collage of deleted scenes introduced by Sam Taylor-Wood. In English, not subtitled. (10 min, PAL).

Nowhere Boy Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Sam Taylor-Wood's Nowhere Boy is wonderful, surprisingly bold film about John Lennon's turbulent childhood. I enjoyed every single minute of it. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of British distributors Icon Home Entertainment, looks and sounds excellent. It also offers some terrific supplemental features. If you have the time, make sure to listen to the entire audio commentary with director Taylor-Wood. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.